


Collect the Nails from the Ashes

by Yotsubadancesintherain5



Category: Tuca & Bertie (TV)
Genre: Gen, One Shot, References to Canon, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-21
Updated: 2019-11-21
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:28:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21516037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yotsubadancesintherain5/pseuds/Yotsubadancesintherain5
Summary: Unexpectedly, Bertie goes to meet Dakota.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 19





	Collect the Nails from the Ashes

Bertie still had Dakota’s number. It seemed like the digits tried to scramble themselves and were unsuccessful. Their single conversation was still in the message log.

“Praise the Cloud,” Bertie muttered. Her fingers struggled with the keypad. Autocorrect somehow turned “sorry,” into “Tchaikovsky,” and that made her fingers shake even more.

Eventually her message became adequately coherent. She pressed send and the message bubble seemed unnaturally huge.

“Hey, Dakota. I’m so sorry for what happened.”

Her phone vibrated immediately and Bertie nearly dropped her phone. She breathed in deeply, and willed herself to look at the message.

It read, “I want to meet up.” Dakota put in at least five emojis in that short sentence.

In a sort of rush, Bertie replied and they set up a place and time. When it was done and Bertie’s head was spinning with message bubbles and bubbly emojis she realized what just happened. She bit down on the swirl of worry that began to storm in her stomach.

She could do this, she could do this, she could do this.

She hoped.

-

Bertie headed out to the coffee shop with a new pair of dessert shoes. One was a rich, orange marmalade Danish and the other a fresh, minty green cheesecake. They’d been a gift from Speckle and Tuca.

(“We knew you’d be nervous meeting Dakota,” Speckle had said when he presented his box. “So we went out and bought one shoe each for you!”

“That’s so sweet,” Bertie had gushed. “Thank you both.”

“Here you go, Bertie!” Tuca said as she held out her box. It was more tape than wrapping paper.

When Bertie had opened up the boxes she looked in confusion at the different shoes.

“We decided to go a bit unconventional and get the kind of shoe we thought you’d like,” Speckle explained. “It’s a bit clashing…”

“True! But look at that funky fresh mint! Our purty Bertie is gonna be a badass trendsetter!”

“Funky fresh mint,” Speckle had repeated. “That could be a dance.”

He had tried out a few moves, earning laughter from Bertie and loud encouragement from Tuca.)

Bertie tapped the heels of the shoes together.

“They’re not ruby so that won’t work,” Bertie said into her plastic coffee cup.

The door opened. Dakota walked in and her shoes looked like they were decorated with banana splits.

“Dakota, hi,” Bertie said. Her voice was way too high and it felt like all her feathers were going to fly off.

“Hey.” Dakota got into her seat and immediately began fidgeting.

It was silent except for the bustle of the baristas behind them and the smooth jazz that crooned from the speakers.

“Dakota,” Bertie said, her voice relatively normal. “I wanted to say that I’m sorry. For… not telling you. And not stopping him.”

The next silence was unbearable.

“I, uh, I saw that video of Pete puttin’ his hands on you,” Dakota said. “You know. Before, I was real angry. Mostly at him. A little at you. When I saw that video it was like a light switch went off in my mind.”

Dakota took in a deep breath before she continued.

“I realized then that Pete was willin’ to hurt women when they don’t comply. So, I’m sorry for not considerin’ your perspective.”

Dakota tapped her forefingers together.

“Can I tell you a story?”

“Of course.”

“I grew up in a town where we got impressive corn fields, they spread across and we never want for sugary, kettle corn popcorn or a sweet, healthy snack,” Dakota said. “So whenever fall rolls around we all put up plastic skeletons, and spooky things in the corn field. Dress up in oldie clothes.”

“Sounds interesting,” Bertie said.

“And sometimes we have people dress like murderers. Plastic knife, fake chainsaw, it’s all safe.”

Even so Bertie twitched at the thought of an onslaught of murderers.

“When I was a li’l bird my friend and I went through the corn field alone,” Dakota said. “We got cornered by one of the actors. My friend froze up – and I attacked the actor’s legs. My mama told me later that when folks get scared they have fight, flight or flee and I got blessed with fight.”

“I guess I got so used to fight that I forgot about the other two,” Dakota said. “So, I’m sorry for not considerin’ that either.”

“I do freeze up,” Bertie admitted. “But, you pushed me to realize that what Pete did to me was fucked up. I have you to thank for that. And that I have Sweet Beak now. And that I got my shit together slightly better now.”

Dakota fidgeted. There was a small smile on her face.

“I did all that?”

“Yeah, the student had time to teach the teacher… teaches, ah,” Bertie stumbled, “Sorry, I’m just flustered, get it together, Bertie!”

“I think you’ve got it together,” Dakota said encouragingly.

“Thanks. I think life seems to be all about getting your shit together, or losing said shit and then getting it together,” Bertie muttered.

“I liked being your friend,” Dakota said. “And I liked learning from you. I have a long way to go!”

Bertie ran her hands through her feathers and they seemed to respond to her flustered emotion; a couple of them drifted down to the floor.

“I liked being your friend, too,” Bertie said, when it seemed like her voice would work.

“Then let’s have a fresh start,” Dakota said. “Could you teach me about baking and getting it together? I could be an apprentice under Professor Bertie’s ‘Get it Together Seminar and Other Things.’”

“Sweet Beak does seem to be lacking an apprentice,” Bertie said.

“I’ll take it! Any lessons, Professor Bertie?”

“Uh.” Bertie shook her empty coffee cup. “Well, one thing to help get your shit together is to have people that love you enough to make sure you look funky fresh or dance ridiculously to make you laugh.”

“Insightful!”

“And when we work out your work schedule we’ll teach you how to make choquettis on your own.”

“You saved those from Pete?” Dakota had an excited look in her eyes.

Bertie grinned. “Of course. Those were _ours_.”

**Author's Note:**

> I loved Dakota (with a silent y) and Bertie's friendship and decided to make a reconciliation fic since the show got cancelled :(


End file.
